The political temperature is rising dangerously as New Democracy and PASOK clash head-on over PASOK officials’ statements regarding the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum. Following statements deemed controversial, the government accuses the opposition party of ambiguity and tolerance towards dangerous positions. PASOK, for its part, speaks of statement distortion, smear campaigns, and a failed attempt to reverse reality.
New Democracy: clarify your position
New Democracy’s press office, referring once again to Maria Apatzidi’s statements about the Turkey-Libya memorandum, as well as those made by PASOK MEP Yannis Maniatis, demands that the main opposition party “finally clarify their position and ensure they communicate it to their officials.”
The ruling party’s announcement states:
“For two days now, we have been watching PASOK officials express different views among themselves about the illegal and groundless Turkey-Libya memorandum, which no country in the world recognizes and which the European Union has condemned in the most official manner.
Initially, Ms. Apatzidi declared that the Turkey-Libya memorandum produces legal effects.
Subsequently, after many hours’ delay, Mr. Tsoukalas characterized it as invalid, but found not a single word of condemnation for Ms. Apatzidi, essentially covering for the dangerous position she articulated.
Today, in his radio interview, PASOK MEP Yannis Maniatis stated that the Turkey-Libya memorandum ‘clearly produces effects, which Turkey exploits, based on an illegal agreement… I said it produces specific effects, I didn’t say legal ones…’
We would not have dealt further with the confusion prevailing on this issue within PASOK, if it didn’t leave open the window for adopting an anti-national position and moreover, after today’s dangerous deflection by Maniatis, from a representative of the country in the European Parliament.
Let them finally clarify their position and ensure they communicate it to their officials.
And let them finally understand that we don’t play games with national issues.”
Responding to PASOK, ND notes, among other things, that “their political desperation is such that they… ‘ignored’ that Yannis Maniatis at least twice in that specific interview emphasized that an illegal memorandum produces only illegal effects.”
PASOK’s response to New Democracy’s announcement
“Such panic, honestly, we didn’t expect from the New Democracy government.
It reached the point of attributing an anti-national stance to PASOK and MEP Yannis Maniatis who, as minister in 2011 with the law he institutionalized, safeguarded national interests and laid the foundations for national legal protection against all of Turkey’s illegal claims.
Much more so, since dozens of times as an MEP he has condemned the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum, has requested measures from the European Commission, and has highlighted the New Democracy government’s negligence in defending national rights, regarding Turkish illegality that occurred during their own governance.
Their political desperation is such that they… ‘ignored’ that Yannis Maniatis at least twice in that specific interview emphasized that an illegal memorandum produces only illegal effects.
Even shame has been shamed by New Democracy’s downfall!”
